Margrave Cronil faithfully implemented Necros’s plan.
A new map hung on the wall of his office.
Several routes connecting the Orbis Empire and the Sail Kingdom were marked with red lines.
Cronil called it the ‘Golden Map.’
It had literally brought him wealth.
“Your Excellency, it’s only been a week since we started trading, and the family’s profits are immense. At this pace, repaying the debt won’t be a problem at all!”
The butler’s voice was filled with excitement.
It had already been a week since they made a deal with merchants from the Sail Kingdom.
How difficult it had been, struggling with debt all this time. But now, a ray of light had entered the Slithis Family.
Of course, the butler didn’t know exactly what business Margrave Cronil was involved in. He knew it was something shady, but it didn’t matter.
What mattered more was that there was a way for the family to repay its debts and recover.
Cronil also wore a satisfied smile.
Three bags full of gold coins lay on his desk.
He felt a sense of pleasure as he ran his fingers over the gold coins.
“Is the caravan transporting minerals from the mine operating well?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. No problems at all.”
Cronil’s newly created ‘Crottis Mineral Caravan’ appeared to be an ordinary caravan on the surface.
But it was a perfect disguise.
On the surface, they were ordinary merchants selling minerals mined in his territory to the Sail Kingdom.
However, the reality was different.
The Crottis Caravan’s wagons and escort knights were being secretly used to kidnap and transport adventurers.
There was no fear of being caught.
This was because they mainly targeted novice adventurers or those who had left their parties, people no one would be looking for.
Adventurers were the type to explore dungeons. One could safely say that it was rare for people to pay attention to adventurers, especially novices, as they never knew when or how they would meet their end.
It wasn’t just adventurers; they would also lure the residents of his territory with sweet words about high-paying jobs.
Despite them being the residents of the territory he managed, Cronil didn’t care.
The residents who were going to leave would leave anyway.
Conversely, he used a carrot-and-stick approach, offering small rewards to those who refused the high-paying jobs.
‘Perfect.’
Cronil stood up and looked out the window.
Several wagons were lined up in the front yard of his mansion.
Flags bearing the ‘Crottis Mineral Caravan’ insignia fluttered above them.
Naturally, tied-up adventurers were loaded inside along with the minerals.
Guilt?
The Margrave was not a man with enough sympathy to feel such a thing.
For him, guilt only came in the form of bags full of gold coins.
“Money is justice.”
*Clink-*
Margrave Cronil shook the bag of gold coins, intoxicated by the sound.
* * *
Near the border between the Orbis Empire and the Free City Alliance, the Crottis Mineral Caravan was moving along the forest.
Two individuals sat in the leading wagon, facing each other: Baldwyn, who had become Necros’s subordinate, and Vector, Margrave Cronil’s knight.
Vector was a former member of the Orbis Empire’s regular army, but after being dismissed for corruption, he became Cronil’s subordinate. For him, this was just another assignment.
Baldwyn, however, was different.
Although the skeleton behind Baldwyn had disappeared, he had no choice but to obey Necros’s orders.
Otherwise, Lyra and Sienna, who had once fought alongside him as party members, would be in danger.
In short, Necros was threatening Baldwyn by holding his comrades hostage.
Therefore, even if he knew that what he was doing was immoral, he had no choice but to comply.
‘To think that I, an adventurer, have to kidnap adventurers…’
He had never heard such a request from an Arch Lich. Didn’t they just tell him to ride in the carriage provided by the Margrave and go to the Sail Kingdom!
They said his comrades’ lives would be safe if he participated in the Coliseum Match there.
Yet, several adventurers were loaded into the Margrave’s carriage like cargo, deep in slumber.
‘Is this really the right thing to do?’
It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel self-reproach.
But if he didn’t follow their orders, Lyra and Sienna would die, so he had no choice.
If he betrayed Necros and ran away, his comrades would die.
Then he would have no face to see Streel, their party member who sacrificed himself for them, in the afterlife.
“How is the cargo?”
Knight Vector, who was in front, asked the subordinate officer outside the wagon. The wagon was loaded with wooden crates, and adventurers were asleep inside them.
“All stable. The magic chains and sedatives are still in effect. There might be some minor issues due to long-term administration, but there won’t be any significant physical distress.”
Walter nodded.
“Good, pay special attention to the Silver Badge adventurer. If they wake up and cause trouble, you have permission to kill them.”
“Yes, understood!”
Baldwyn bit his lip at the way they treated adventurers like cargo, but there was nothing he could do.
He could only obey.
Soon, a fortress guarding the entrance to the Free City Alliance appeared. As the wagon reached the Free City Alliance’s border, Baldwyn tensed his body. The silhouettes of Paladins in white cloaks could be seen atop the high walls.
“Are you sure it’s okay? I see White Church Paladins over there.”
Baldwyn said in a low voice. Vector carelessly looked out the window and a smile formed on his lips.
“Don’t worry. I’ve done this hundreds of times before.”
“You’re not thinking of bribing the Paladins, are you?”
Vector scoffed at Baldwyn’s concern.
“People are all the same. Even the White Church is no exception. This is just another transaction.”
The wagon slowly approached the checkpoint. Baldwyn thought again about what he was doing. He was participating in kidnapping adventurers and transporting them to the Sail Kingdom. Of course, it wasn’t voluntary. It was unavoidable if he wanted to save his comrades. He tried to calm himself down with such thoughts.
“Halt!”
A Paladin in white armor raised his hand, stopping the wagon train. His face was stern. He scanned the wagons with cold eyes and then spoke.
“We need to inspect the cargo.”
At his words, Vector got out of the wagon and approached the Paladin. His movements were elegant and confident. He stood before the Paladin and bowed deeply.
“Respected Paladin, I am Vector, a knight of Margrave Cronil of the Orbis Empire. Your dedication to the Church’s mission at such an important border is truly inspiring.”
Vector’s demeanor had completely changed from moments ago. The Paladin looked at Vector with suspicion.
“I am Syres, who serves the Goddess. That flattery is enough; I will inspect the cargo according to regulations.”
Vector maintained his smile without showing any sign of embarrassment.
“Sir Syres, we are transporting minerals as the Crottis Caravan. It’s a rather urgent matter, so is there any way?”
“Due to recent Warlock activities, the checkpoints have been reinforced. There are no exceptions.”
Seeing the resolute Paladin, Vector took something out of his pouch. It was a small pouch full of gold coins. He discreetly handed it over with a natural motion.
“Of course. However, time is of great importance to us. This is a small token of our gratitude for your important mission, honored Paladin.”
Syres didn’t even look at the pouch at first. But when Vector intentionally shook the pouch slightly, the sound of gold coins clinking together was heard. Paladin Syres’s eyes lingered there for a moment.
“We respect the Church.”
Vector continued gently.
“Therefore, please consider this my small sincerity to support the Church’s noble mission.”
“Hmm hmm.”
Syres looked around, then quickly took the pouch and hid it in his cloak. Even though the pouch was small, its weight was far from light. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes softened slightly.
“Indeed. The White Church always strives for the welfare of the people.”
Syres pondered for a moment, then took out a small parchment from his pouch and stamped it with an emblem. The White Church’s symbol was clearly engraved on the seal. It was a transit pass.
“Be careful to avoid any problems. The Church’s eyes are everywhere.”
“You speak wisely. Then, farewell.”
Vector replied respectfully. He got back onto the wagon. Baldwyn looked at Vector with surprised eyes.
“I can’t believe you bribed him so easily…”
“Money is always right.”
Vector said, tucking the transit pass into his cloak and smiling with satisfaction. Seeing him, Baldwyn shook his head. He seemed too much like the Arch Lich who had put him in this situation.
“…”
The wagon, loaded with ‘cargo,’ smoothly crossed into the Free City Alliance and arrived in the Sail Kingdom a few days later. The Sail Kingdom was already a nation under Celia’s rule. Passing the border was not difficult. Eventually, their wagons flowed into the underworld of the Sail Kingdom.
* * *
The wagon turned into an alleyway and finally reached the underworld of the Sail Kingdom. Baldwyn was overwhelmed by the sight of the city in the shadows.
If the Sail Kingdom was called the Kingdom of Light, supported by the White Church, then this place was the Kingdom of Shadows.
‘Is this really the underworld?’
He doubted his eyes at the scene visible through the window. The underworld he imagined was a shabby and grim place. He envisioned beggars, narrow alleys piled with trash, and chaotic streets with endless bloody fights.
But reality was completely different. The roads were smoothly paved, and the streets were astonishingly organized. Even the sound of wagon wheels passing over the streets was smooth. There was no smell of trash or sewage anywhere.
Even though it was evening, lights illuminated many parts of the street. The buildings were decorated with gorgeous carvings.
“How…”
He muttered, disbelief evident.
“There isn’t a single beggar in sight?”
As the wagon entered the central district, an even more astonishing sight unfolded. People walked the streets leisurely, dressed in luxurious clothing.
“This looks much more prosperous than an ordinary city, let alone a kingdom’s capital.”
No city they had passed through on their way from the Orbis Empire to here looked as prosperous. At least, not to Baldwyn, who had traveled to various cities as an adventurer.
Vector turned his head and looked at Baldwyn. A mocking smile spread across his face.
“Friend, are you too slow to get the news?”
The wagon continued to drive through the luxurious streets, and Vector’s words followed.
“This is my first time here too. But there seems to be a great guy who has taken over this place.”
Vector lowered his voice.
“I don’t know who it is, but they say he has a strong grip on this place. They say he thoroughly controls the entire underworld.”
Vector made a slashing motion across his throat.
“There’s even a saying that if you break the rules here, you’ll disappear without a trace to that person. Well, according to rumors, he wears a mask, but no one has seen his face.”
At Vector’s chuckling words, Baldwyn suddenly thought of the Arch Lich. Come to think of it, didn’t the Arch Lich wear a mask when they went to the Margrave’s mansion?
‘Could it be…’
His eyes narrowed at Vector’s mention of a mask.
‘The Arch Lich…?’
If a monster had truly taken over the city, it would be a huge matter.
‘Nah, it’s probably not. It’s just a coincidence.’
Baldwyn tried to push the thought away. How could a monster rule a city secretly without the kingdom knowing? The Arch Lich must have had some sort of deal with the master of this underworld.
‘Adventurers also make deals with dungeon masters.’
From an adventurer’s perspective, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.
A few minutes later, the wagon train stopped in front of a building. The building, decorated with marble and gold, was more ornate than any royal palace. As the wagon stopped, heavily built guards who had been waiting inside the building came out.
“Is this the item sent by the boss?”
One of the guards asked with a hazy look in his eyes. When Vector nodded, the guards began to move the wooden crates loaded in the wagon.
“It seems it’s time for us to part ways.”
Vector said indifferently. His mission was only to safely deliver the ‘cargo.’ His objective was different from Baldwyn’s, who was participating in the Coliseum Match.
Baldwyn slowly got out of the wagon. The moment his feet touched the ground, thunderous cheers erupted from the Coliseum building. Then, a voice amplified by magic spread through the street.
“Everyone! Don’t miss tomorrow’s special event! The ‘Knight of Flame,’ a Gold Badge adventurer from the Orbis Empire, will appear in the Coliseum! Witness a legendary swordsman firsthand!”
The voice came from the Coliseum building. The description of the ‘Knight of Flame,’ a Gold Badge adventurer from the Orbis Empire. Baldwyn couldn’t help but realize that it was him. His expression darkened.
